


Darkness Rises

by vision97



Series: Star Wars:An age of Turbulence [2]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Gen, Interpretations of Jedi and Sith Philosophy, Lightsaber Battles, M/M, The Force
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2018-07-29
Packaged: 2019-02-19 19:59:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 7,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13131042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vision97/pseuds/vision97
Summary: Loss of trust, Desperation, Betrayal, Love, Possession all come together as Darkness Rises in the Star Wars Galaxy. No matter how much relationships have improved, people (Anakin cough cough) always revert to old habits when pushed into a corner. And even though the Jedi and some in the Sneate are beginning to uncover the sinister plot afoot. It may be too late to stop the Sith machinations from playing out. Still... even the tiniest changes can lead to dramatic outcomes.





	1. We are winning aren't we?

“That was quite the daring rescue, General.” Cody said as he approached the man sitting by the shuttle where said man was _obviously_ not hiding.

                “Daring isn’t quite the word I would use. We landed with only half our plane intact.” Obi-Wan chuckled lightly.

                “You, however, coordinated the attack spectacularly High Commander.” Obi-Wan praised him with a smile that was far too innocent. Cody could tell from the also far too relaxed posture that Obi-Wan was trying valiantly – and failing miserably – to hide the pain he was in.

                _Flattery will get you nowhere,_ Cody thought savagely. Blinking doe eyes told Cody that Obi-Wan had heard his last thought.  _It. Will. Get. You. Nowhere._ Cody mentally repeated as he removed his helmet to get a proper look at the Jedi. If anything, the innocent look and the doe eyes of indefinable color were more devastating in the natural light. Cody tried to stop his mind from screaming the word ‘adorable.’

                “Please, take a seat Commander.” Obi-Wan said gesturing to the spot on the shuttle beside him. Cody obliged the man, then went straight for the kill.

                “So, Obi-Wan, what happened?” In any conversation the two had had, whenever Cody started to use Obi-Wan’s name instead of his title, a tiny smile would steal across the red heads face almost too quickly to be noticed. Though in retrospect, Cody realised the same was true for himself whenever they flickered in and out of their formal roles. This time was no different and Cody could already feel a smile leaking into his own voice.

                “I was violently thrown into a platform that proceeded to rudely collapse on top of me.” Obi-Wan sighed out. That explained the odd posture, Cody noted.

                “Should I take you to the infirmary?” Cody asked.

                “In a while,” Obi-Wan spoke stiffly, “I’ve just found a position where my body doesn’t… protest too much and… I’d like to enjoy that for a while please.” Obi-Wan’s trademark grin was back in place. There was nothing special about the scene. In fact, considering the pain Obi-Wan must have been experiencing to not want to move; it was not a good moment. However, this was the first time in ages that the two had been physically next to each other. Cody’s promotion and Obi-Wan’s more temple restricted tenure as the Co-ordinating General meant they were no joint mission for them these last couple of months. The two had kept in very frequent contact though, even outside of mission reports. They had holocalls and text messages that lasted for days. Things between them continued to shift and settle into some strange but not uncomfortable area.

Cody, despite all his curiosity, did not ask: no matter how much he was tempted to. Between the war and their personal commitments – not that it had stopped them from getting this far – the moment had yet to present. Maybe it never would. Aside from that, there was niggling voice in his head that sneered _‘This Jedi is far beyond you Clone.’_ There was little else Cody could offer to the General that he hadn’t already.

No. It would not help to ask right now. Again, maybe it never would. This, right now, in Cody’s opinion was good. 

                “Not that I don’t appreciate the company, Cody.”  Cody raised his eyebrows in feigned disbelieve to which Obi-Wan’s face morphed into a wan mien as he repeated, “Not at all. But, don’t you have more pressing matters to attend to rather than spending time baby sitting a _fully-grown Jedi._ ”

                “I’m glad you asked, Obi-Wan. Firstly, the perks of being High Commander.” Cody spoke out as he watched Obi-Wan’s eyes widened and a grin stole across the man’s face. No doubt sensing the confidence oozing out of the clone.

                “Secondly, prior experience has taught me that said _fully-grown Jedi_ has a habit of not prioritising his own health and well-being.”  At this Obi-Wan rolled his eyes while looking away with a smile still hiding beneath his beard. There was a pause for a bit before Cody continued in a more subdued voice still riding on the remains of his previous confidence.

                “I’m happy where I am.”

                “I’m glad.”

                “I still say, we should go to the medic, sir.” Cody supplied.

                “In good time, Commander. Right now, I’d like to savour the lack of impending disaster. Sitting here, sensing my ex-padawan’s mounting frustration with the media.” There was a glimmer of a fond sadistic humour in Obi-Wan’s tone. Typical of his relationship with Skywalker. Cody found himself unable to deny the request.

                “I will still be taking you straight to – oh, it seems General Skywalker alerted the medics to come to you instead.”

                “Of course, he did.” Obi-Wan grumbled out in his usual neutral tone and his hands swatted at some imaginary bug in the air. Cody heard a sound escape him before he shut his mouth with an audible snap. He bent down to retrieve his helmet and incidentally hide his face from Obi-Wan.

                “Did you just… giggle?” Obi-Wan inquired.

 Cody did not respond.

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The pain was building steadily behind Padme’s eyes, carving out its own place in her psyche beside her pregnancy induced nausea and mounting paranoia with her current situation in life. _Pregnancy._ The timing could not be any worse, Padme thought bitterly. With all that had been happening politically, she had not even noticed the changes until one of her handmaidens pointed it out to her. _Who doesn’t notice they are pregnant._ Well it did happen, but Padme honestly thought she was better than that. She had even taken precautions as well. The coming months would be trying, Padme could not reveal her pregnancy publicly because well… there were a lot of reasons why not least because the father was a very public figure that was part of an Order that did not allow marriage. She still had to tell Anakin, Padme internally sighed. The couple had a lot of decisions to make soon.

That was a problem for another time. Right now, she had a rendezvous with Bail Organa regarding the Chancellor’s capture and their recent “inquiries.” Rebuilding their network of trusted allies was slow work. After all, suspecting the highest office in the galaxy of corruption and treason meant they had no idea how many of their own official channels of investigation were compromised. So many of their contacts – official and unofficial – were somehow affiliated with the Chancellor.

Palpatine… The Chancellor continued to gain more and more unchecked powers as time wore on. The public would sooner cast their lot with the one man than with their elected Senate leaders or with the Jedi apparently. When the war ended and when Palpatine left office could no one see the mess those powers would make for whoever inherited them. The amount of energy it would take to reverse all those policy. If they even could.

Soon, everything would come to a stand still in the Senate. The movement had gained enough traction that nothing short of a dissolution of government would stop it. For all that the army was winning the war – the republic was falling apart internally. _It was difficult to fight what one could not see._ The signs were all there, you could see politicians slowly preparing and forging alliances to protect themselves when the moment came and whomever was pulling the strings stepped out of the shadows. Padme and her friends would have to be ready.

                “Senator Amidala, it is good to see you again.” Bail called out as he approached. Padme let a genuine smile fall onto her face as the Prince of Alderaan approached.

                “It is good to see you too, Senator Organa.” Padme turned towards him. Bail was one of her closest friends and confidants. They had entered the Senate together – watched each other grow as politicians and out of themselves as royalty. As politics often was, they were not always on the same side of a debate, but they agreed where it mattered. Bail knew of her relationship with Anakin, though not of the marriage and Padme had decided she would not burden him with the knowledge of her pregnancy. Padme knew of how Bail could not father any children of his own and she did not think it fair to let him know that she had fallen pregnant by pure chance.

                “What have you uncovered so far?” Padme asked quietly. Bail was the one leading their investigation under wraps. Mon-Mothma was gathering resources from her connections. As Mon-Mothma’s world was known for their ambivalent stance on being part of the Republic, she was best for the position. Naboo’s distance from the inner core meant that Padme could amass an intelligence base with few being none the wiser. Padme’s handmaidens and a few of her old guard were hooking after things back on Naboo.

                “A whole lot of nothing I’m afraid. The security council couldn’t find anything either. They suspect an inside job but to me – everything looks too neat to begin with and then somehow everything falls apart – even that feels staged. The capture of the Senator was an inside job but by who and for who. It looks like the Separatist army was also led into a trap in my opinion. No one would let themselves be cornered the way Dooku was if they had engineered the capture of the Chancellor unless he was given faulty information or worse for him, he was betrayed.”

                “The Jedi believe that Dooku is alive somewhere.” Padme said. Bail gave an agitated grunt of agreement.

                “I am inclined to agree with them. The thing I’ve learnt about Force Sensitives of that calibre is that, unless you see and confirm that they are dead, it’s best to assume they survived.”

Padme laughed lowly, “They are a hardy bunch, aren’t they?” Bail hummed in agreement. Their investigation so far had yielded little results beyond painting the sinister mastermind in darker portrait than they had first imagined.

                “It feels like the movements on either side of this war are staged sometimes. As if the outcome was long decided before we came into the picture.”

                “We must keep searching then or prepare for the worst.” No matter Bail’s frustration or lack of tangible results, they had to keep looking. They had to. Bail clasped his hands behind his back and made motions to leave.

                “I think it is time we start doing both. It is good to see you again Padme.”

                It seemed preparing for the worst would have to be her duty then.


	2. The eye in the storm

"Why is the Council so quick to think that I failed to kill the Count! Do you trust me so little!” Anakin fumed. He could not understand why Master Yoda thought the Count had survived. Anakin had cut off both the Sith’s hands and would have cut his head off if it hadn’t been for the ship giving a giant lurch and jarring creak that threw everyone off balance. The ship’s ceiling began to collapse, Anakin found himself being thrown to the stern of the ship. Priorities overtook him, Anakin barely made it out of the room with an unconscious Obi-Wan and panicked Chancellor. Anakin may not have struck the killing blow, but he was certain that Dooku could not have made it off the ship. Especially without hands.

                “Anakin, it is not an issue of trust nor is the Council casting doubt on your abilities.” Obi-Wan said in a longsuffering tone as he fiddled in the kitchen preparing tea for his guests. Ahsoka sat across from Anakin twirling with one hand supporting her chin on the table.

                “Few could have survived that. Unfortunately, Dooku is one of the few. Anakin,” Obi-Wan paused as he placed the tea on the table before them and sat down with a sigh. Then he looked to Anakin with a deep sincerity and continued,

                “In this war we can’t afford to assume that a Sith is dead. That hasn’t worked out well for us in the past. If Yoda believes that Dooku is still alive then let him. If he is right, then we will be prepared and if he isn’t… then time will prove _you_ right.”

                “While I do find it hard to believe that Dooku made it off the ship with no hands, Yoda has a bond with Dooku that we cannot ignore. You were the same Skyguy when we thought Master Obi-Wan was dead on Jabiim.” Ahsoka chimed in as she accepted some tea from Obi-Wan.  Anakin shot her a tired glare. He and his Padawan had been having more differences of opinion as of late. Anakin, had thought it had been because she still felt betrayed by the elder Jedi during the Temple bombings. Ahsoka had assured it wasn’t and Anakin had confirmed through their bond that it wasn’t. Then Anakin had panicked, thinking he was just that bad a teacher. Obi-Wan had assured him that Ahsoka’s behaviour was normal. She was approaching knighthood and developing her own opinions about things: Anakin had given her the skills to do so. Still, Anakin could not help the jealousy that arose whenever Ahsoka and Obi-Wan had a shared view that differed from his own.

                “The bond between Yoda and Dooku dissolved decades ago and one half of it is mired in darkness. Can we really put our faith in it?” Anakin argued. Obi-Wan groaned out loud,

                “Anakin, that isn’t the point. Look, we are so close to victory in this war. So close, in no small part, thanks to you. Everyone knows that, no one is denying that. Whether or not, Dooku is alive – he is off the playing field and _that_ is great news Anakin. It is.”  Ahsoka nodded along and Anakin relented. There was a brief silence.

                “Master, why are you so eager to say you killed Count Dooku.” Obi-Wan stopped drinking tea at that and fully faced Anakin, interest also painted across his face.

                “There was no specific reason, I just felt slighted that the Council thought I was unable to take on Count Dooku.” Anakin said turning away from the two. Ahsoka looked at him in mild disbelief.

                “Come now, Anakin. You certainly weren’t shy about letting your displeasure be known. Tell us the real reason.” Obi-Wan said in a tone dripping with false sweetness. Anakin stared at his former Master unimpressed.

                “I hoped to use my victory as a basis for my application for the rank of Master.” Ahsoka rolled her eyes at him.               

                “You do not apply for Master, Skyguy.”

                “Well, with how often I am overlooked by the Council…” Anakin grumbled.

                “Come now, Anakin. Few people are granted the title of Master before their first Padawan becomes a Padawan.”

                “You were.” Anakin and Ahsoka replied in tandem: Ahsoka with a teasing lilt and Anakin with a challenging huff.

                “Yes, well…” Obi-Wan looked away from them. Anakin remembered when Obi-Wan had been granted the rank of Master. Where others would have been at the least bit excited, Obi-Wan was morose. Obi-Wan feared failure more than anything else. Obi-Wan wanted to be a Master, yes. But he had assumed it would happen much further into his career. All the experience, the Council said he gained was because he had been trying so hard to learn what to teach and expect from Anakin. What Anakin assumed was a love for academia that Obi-Wan had nurtured from birth was, in fact, a love that had grown from countless hours pouring over teaching methods, philosophies, techniques and the like. Knowing this touched Anakin to the depths of his soul.

Yet, that same knowledge burdened him. Anakin never wanted to be worthless again. He wanted to prove himself: to Qui-Gon’s memory, Obi-Wan, his Mother, the Force and to himself even. That same insecurity that was in a child born a slave lingered in the Jedi still – much as he tried to deny it.

                “Besides, Snips here will be Knighted soon.” Anakin shot her a grin.

                “I am humbled by your consideration, Master.” Ahsoka said in her most Jedi-like voice. All three of them burst out laughing.

                “I am in no rush to be Knighted Skyguy.” Ahsoka said as the laughter died down. Anakin, slightly puzzled, looked at her.

                “Why not Snips? Scared of facing the galaxy not at your amazing Master’s side?” Anakin teased. There was some laughter from them all.

                “When I became a Padawan, this war had been going on for more than a year. All my Padawan years have been in wartime, spent in war zones. I haven’t gotten to see the galaxy and its people when they haven’t preoccupied by galactic conflict. If there is a chance I can see that before I am knighted, I would take it. Besides, you aren’t that bad company either.” Anakin could understand her view and some pride at the person Ahsoka was becoming. With a quick glance, Anakin saw that the same pride was on Obi-Wan’s face.

                “I have a scouting mission tomorrow, so I better be off. Bye, Master Obi-Wan, Skyguy!” Ahsoka exited Obi-Wan’s rooms.

                “I will take my leave as well, Master.” Anakin stood up to leave.

                “Anakin, what you did today was amazing. I could not be any prouder.”

                “Thank you, Master.” Anakin ducked his head, feeling a blush start on his cheeks. He heard Obi-Wan approach him and place a hand on his shoulder.

                “And should you become a Master, don’t you think you should start calling me Obi-Wan?” Obi-Wan said with a smirk on his face.

                “I do. Sometimes.”

                “Hmmm, but I haven’t been your Master in quite a while.”

                “Details,” Anakin scoffed with amusement while stepping away.

                “Goodnight Anakin.”

                “Goodnight Master.”

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                “Obi-Wan!” Padme gasped out in pain gripping Obi-Wan’s hands tightly. She arched off the bed slightly in a wordless scream. Obi-Wan rose to meet her, his other hand going to her temple to caress it gently as he shushed her. Both were a mess, dishevelled and a frantic sort of energy hovered between them. Padme looked pale and sweaty, her eyes were wide and searching when they were open otherwise she clenched them shut in a picture of pure agony. Anakin tried to reach her, to shout out, to calm her but he couldn’t. He wasn’t there. All he could do was watch, his gaze fixed to the scene before. He could not look away even if he wanted to. Anakin wasn’t there. Why wasn’t he there!

                “Obi-Wan!” Padme cried out hoarsely again, her other arm gripping Obi-Wan just as tightly. The oddly intimate scene left a bitter taste in Anakin’s mouth. Obi-Wan looked haggard, Anakin observed. His master’s robes were covered in so much soot they were black. The man smelt of ash and smoke. If Anakin could, he would have demanded the man clean himself up before getting close to Padme. Anakin could see darkening bruises on Obi-Wans face, large and dreadful, hidden behind uncharacteristically messy red hair.Obi-Wan had just come off a battlefield from the looks of it. Was Anakin hurt? Is that why he wasn’t there?

                Padme went limp and machines started beeping. The beeping startled Obi-Wan.

                “What’s going on?” Obi-Wan demanded as med droids rushed over to Padme’s cot.

                “She is going into cardiac arrest.” A droid droned.

_What?_ Anakin’s heart jumped to his throat. Anakin could feel his entire being protest but still he could not move. This only agitated him more. The beeping continued.

                “What’s wrong?” Obi-Wan demanded, hovering behind the droids attending Padme.

                “All other body functions are normal. No discernible causes of the patient’s current condition.” The droid replied. Suddenly, Obi-Wan stopped for a moment. Then looked ahead, his entire body collapsing into a man held together by the last vestiges of his own will.

                “What of the child?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. Again, Anakin was floored. Child? There was a child. What was going? The urge to call out became unbearable.

                “It is imperative to induce labour. There is nothing we can do for the mother.”

_Padme, Padme. PADME!_

Anakin awoke with a strangled yell. Heaving, Anakin took stock of his surroundings. He was back in the Jedi temple, in his shared rooms with Ahsoka. The room was dark except for the few lights of the Coruscant city filtering through his blinds. It was still far from sunrise. With a deep breath, Anakin calmed himself. He pushed his hair out of his face, a couple of strands strayed back stubbornly, clinging to sweaty skin. It was getting too long again, and it was that awful mix of blond and dark locks that he hated so much. For all that Anakin was comfortable in desert heat, he never wanted to be stuck under the blaze of intense sunlight again. For one it bleached his hair to an almost platinum blonde, and then there was the sand. Just thinking about it, irritated him.

Anakin moved away from his bed to the window, the cooler air immediately raising goosebumps on his skin. Nightmares were nothing new to Anakin: nothing new to Jedi in general. There were downsides to having a psychic connection to the mystic Force of the universe. For one as particularly connected to it as Anakin, it wasn’t so much a tenuous connection and more of another limb in his mind. The Force was always there, a growing weight in his mind, Anakin could hardly tell where the Force began, and he ended sometimes.

It was just a dream. Padme wasn’t even pregnant. There was nothing to worry about. Anakin let the disquiet within him fade away into the Force. The Force always felt less murky in Coruscant in the home of the Jedi. It felt safe here.

Anakin took another breath. The war would end soon. Peace would be everywhere. The Chancellor would see to it. Palpatine was a dedicated man. Maybe, the force would be in balance then and Anakin would not be needed. He could leave the order and be with Padme. Did he want to leave the order? Anakin knew that he wanted to be with Padme, he always had. If Padme were pregnant?

It was just a dream. Anakin sighed again as he turned back to his bed. The early morning cold was getting to him. It wouldn’t do to dwell on what could and couldn’t be. _Keep your mind in the moment._ Anakin would go see Padme tomorrow if she was free. Yes, some time together would be good for them. Padme was probably weighed down with the bureaucratic nonsense in the Senate. Anakin closed his eyes and smiled.

It was just a dream.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lol, I wish i was gonna write the pregnancy reveal. I just scrapped the entire part about Ahsoka leaving the order. For now just pretend that part never happened. Sorry no Cody in this one cause y'know... Cody has a job and like a million little brother to keep alive. From this point btw, Ahsoka has started taking a few solo missions (solo as in without Anakin courtesy of a certain Sith Lord).  
> Anyway kudos and comments always welcome.


	3. Naboo Winter Protocol

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So i lost my wrinting and my notes this time.

Radio silence. Not a word or a peep of her husband. For one whole standard month, Anakin had been out there fighting and rounding up the remaining Separatist forces. The Republic was spread thin; so very thin that any mistake in their planning could have resulted in disastrous consequences for the army and their hard-earned progress. So, it had been radio silence. The only news Padme heard was from the holonews; little snippets here and there of Jedi sightings on the front lines. And of course, she kept an eye on the obituaries. Not that she thought he would die but... it eased her mind somewhat not finding his name on the list.

It wasn't his life she was worried for though. Padme was more concerned about Anakin's state of mind. When Anakin had left, he had been reluctant to leave her: worried for her well being and that of their unborn children (Padme hadn't known she was carrying twins then.) The dreams Anakin had of her death always left him shaken and withdrawn the morning after. That the dream had persisted consistently while he was on Coruscant did not help at all. Padme tried to reassure him that the doctors had said she was fine and there were no foreseeable complications. Unfortunately, that had only convinced Anakin of foul play. Still, duty called, and Anakin had to leave. Did the dreams continue or was war enough to stop the fear that plagued Anakin's mind?

Padme, thankfully, did not have a lot of time to worry about her husband. The Senate was once again locked in deep debate over whether to start peace talks with the Separatists. Many, like the Chancellor, thought absolute victory on the battle field was best. Others wished to open negotiations with less blood shed and less bitterness staining the route to peace. Both sides had grown bolder in pursuit of their agenda. The Senate was at its least productive now. Fewer and fewer motions were being passed every day. Everyone was on edge. Pressure was mounting from all sides; the media and the public being the loudest. Senators continued to die or 'disappear' at a steady rate, all being replaced with beings eager to please the Chancellor. Padme and her cohort were rapidly losing allies on the Senate floor.

There was talk in their little group of looking for support outside the Senate and the Republic entirely. Mon-Mothma had received word through Coreillia that some Separatist worlds sought peace, that whoever was above Count Dooku was using the entire Separatist army to further their own ends. Assassinations in the Separatist world were as rampant as they were in the Republic apparently and now, the leaders of the Separatists were suspecting the Republic wasn’t as two-faced as they thought. Of course, many in the Republic thought that those were just ghost stories manufactured by the side that was losing the war.

Bail, finally, had made a break through of sorts. He had found threads that led to the Council of Independent Systems and from there into several large cartels in Hutt Space. Still, he could not tie anything to the Chancellors office, but he had enough to accuse the Chancellor of negligence: a web this complex could not have been spun without Palpatine overlooking some corrupt operations. _What a mess,_ Padme thought. There was nothing to be gained on the Senate floor anymore. And so, their group of scheming Senators were now cautiously reaching out to leaders on the other side of the war with whom they were reasonably certain they could trust (or those who had opted to not take any sides during the entire mess.)

She wanted to talk to Anakin, tell him that her work and duty were going to take her down some unsavoury path. Padme had promised to be safe, but it had been too late then(when she had made the promise), and it was far too late now. She wouldn’t tell Anakin everything, there was too much at stake for that, just enough for him to be aware. They had promised to be there for each other, to let themselves be vulnerable for each other. It was necessary in a relationship littered with secrets in every conceivable aspect like theirs. Padme wanted the reassurance that he would be with her, whatever came next. Something had to give and soon. There was some shuffling behind and Padme turned to face her guests.

            “Senator,” one of her former handmaidens spoke for the other three. The five of them had become fast friends during Padme’s tenure as queen and the friendship had lasted on till now when they were in their own respectable careers. Only one still served under Padme as an advisor.

            “It is good to see you all again so soon.” Padme replied as she ushered them to sit down. Padme took out a sonic disruptor and placed it on the table making a show of switching it on to make sure everyone knew they were not being spied on. The others immediately smoothed out their features into business miens.

            “So soon Naberrie, why is it that you rarely ever have good news?” one of them laughed quietly. The others smiled in response.

            “Still getting yourself into tight spots m’lady?” another teased. Padme chuckled at that and rolled her eyes good naturedly.

            “I have both. Mostly bad but there is definitely some good news in there…somewhere.”

            “Hmm… does it have anything to do with a certain Jedi Knight?” one of them inquired. Padme lowered her head suddenly coy. She could be vulnerable with these women.

            “Is it that obvious?” Padme asked. Corde, one of her former handmaidens, barked out a laugh.

            “Naberrie, I’m certain the entire core and mid-rim know.”

            “Some intelligence networks in Naboo found files on your wedding,” another guest stated. “I believe they are saving the information for the next round of elections. I don’t think you will be able to run another term m’lady.”

Padme sighed at that. The runaway wedding with Anakin was one thing she absolutely regretted, mostly because it had been so poorly planned. Padme had been surprised that she hadn’t had to do anything to keep the matter out of the holonews. Now she knew that her friends back on Naboo had taken care of the matter for the time being. She was grateful.

            “I wasn’t planning on continuing in my current role anyway. You see, I am pregnant.” Various congratulatory remarks were passed around.

            “That is the good news,” Padme continued. Padme felt her face relax into a more business-like poise. The next part would be the hardest, when her royal court had begun to go their separate ways after her terms as queen, they came up with different alarm signals for help. The codes had only been used twice – both times did not end well for those who had called them.

            “The lands of Naboo were not always green,” she recited. The protocol she was triggering was the most severe they had come up with.

            “They were once covered with snow and devoid of all life.” Corde replied after stiffening slightly.

            “On and on the cold went, covering an entire galaxy it seems.” Padme looked away form her visitors. What she was asking of them was monumental, but Padme needed to be prepared. The galactic threat had been established amongst her friends and now the Naboo Winter Protocol had been set. If anything should happen to her, the handmaidens would take care of her family as they had done for others and find her remote encrypted files to continue her work. If need be the maidens would publicly disavow her: as long as they were able to finish her work.

            “Oh Naberrie, what have you done?”

            “I’m sorry.” Padme replied quietly. She felt a hand atop hers on the table.

            “Don’t be. Just don’t let it come to that.” Padme nodded slightly not trusting her voice.

            “So…this child you are carrying,” Corde said trying to break the silence.

Padme laughed a bit then answered,

            “Child _ren_.”


	4. The Stars incline us they do not bind

Cody stared intently at the holo projection as his general spoke. It still felt overwhelming being the leader at the helm of his own ship. More of his brothers were under his command now and even a few natural born sentient units. It was a heady feeling, having risen this high up the chain of command. Cody was proud and eager not to fail. 

"With Anakin's victories in the Miraluka systems, the only major general left is Grievous." Obi-wan finished his summary of events outside of Cody's battalion. Obi-wan looked well, Cody surmised, the time in the temple had served him well. Obi-wan's hair had been trimmed and styled to the regal cut that the Jedi preferred. His movements were measured and decisive indicating decent sleep, at least by Obi-wans standard. Cody was satisfied by the results of his assessment. Obi-wan was fine.

The radio silence order by the Chancellor meant Cody had not seen Obi-wan outside of mission reports and debriefings-- sometimes not even then. The lack of communication had been... far too enlightening when it came to his ... feelings.

"General, Grievous' movements have been a bit too strategic for someone being forced to retreat. He is dragging us further and further from hyperspace routes." Not to mention spreading their army thin. 

Obi-wan looked at him for a moment then replied.  
"I know. You are being spread too thin in the hopes of some sort of counter strike blitz I guess. I would have waited them out but.." Obi-wan sighed and stroked his beard giving Cody a wan look.   
"Those aren't the orders I've been given." Cody stopped himself from frowning. That could only mean the Senate. Cody as most other clones had very little interest in politics.  
"I know you are spread thin, Cody, and on the front lines that is a precarious position to be in. Be that as it may, i have every confidence that you, all of you, will succeed."   
"Thank you, general." Cody felt his face heat up slightly and caught his head before it bowed bashfully.   
"Oh and one suggestion if may High Commander," Obi-wan said with mirth and mischief radiating from his face across light years through the holo projection. Cody narrowly avoided rolling his eyes in full view of his men on the bridge. A tiny smile broke out unbidden across Cody's face and it was obvious to him that the attention of everyone on the bridge had piqued and they were listening.  
"Of course General." Cody voice had slipped out of its business tone.  
"Try get some sleep."   
Cody appreciated the sentiment. He really did. However, the indignation at Obi-wan of all people... and the general was clearly enjoying whatever his reaction was. The smirk had grown into a cheeky from. Cody was certain he heard some wheezing behind him. The bastard.  
"I strive to follow the example of my superiors." Cody replied standing at attention hands behind his back staring sternly at the hypocrite projected on his bridge. Cody could hear the stifled coughs behind him. He made a gesture a gesture of silence with his hands and the movements cut out abruptly. Obi-wan wasn't phased, in fact the man looked down right pleased even though he feigned polite consideration to Cody's remark.

"Hmm, said superior," Obi-Wan began brushing off some imaginary dirt off his shoulder as he spoke, "not that I know who they are of course, probably sustained themselves using the Force. Do tell, what is your excuse?" Obi-Wan looked innocently at him. Everyone on the bridge had given up on the pretense of work and were now looking on in interest.

Cody narrowed his eyes then smoothed out his features trying to mirror a face he had seen Obi-Wan make a thousand times when he disagreed with someone but could not shoot down the idea in public. 

"Yes General, I will give your suggestion some considerable thought." Obi-wan coughed into his fist to hide his chuckling. Obi-wan had said the exact same thing many times before. From others the statement was respectful but from Obi-wan it was bold, "Let's pretend I am going to think about what you have said when we both know otherwise." Cody didn't bother try to hide his own smirk.

"That is all I can ask. Take care of yourself, High Commander. May the force be with you all. Kenobi out." Obi-wan gave a gentle smile and the projection cut. Cody wanted the conversation to continue: banter, mission reports, even a petty argument just... more time. Cody mentally shook himself from where his thoughts was going. Now that his debriefing with the general was over, it was time to begin planning with the commander of his troops. Then writing mission protocols, inventory orders, mission scheduling, inventory checks, mission screening and on and on and on.

Through it all, Cody's mind kept wandering back to the general. He had developed a habit where during debriefings he periodically made eye contact with Obi-Wan. Now, the Jedi wasn't here he would feel restless without anyone to share those fleeting glances with. Cody missed him. By the force Cody missed the man. And the feeling grew as time passed. Cody wondered whether the general thought about him as much as Cody seemed to lately. Cody wondered...

"Cody," Boil broke through Cody's reverie.  
Cody blinked in the silence. He wasn't too certain what they'd been talking about. Boil was one of the clones Cody was close to. They were batch mates; one of the few alive that Cody had always been on decent terms with.

"Codes, what's up?" Cody wasn't sure how to reply. Boil, though, seemed to already know.

"You miss the general." Boil continued. It wasn't a question. 

"I do. I worry about him."

"Is that all?" Boil pressed. There was no judgement in his tone. Boil was a soul-brother to Cody. Clone family dynamics and culture were difficult to describe to an outsider. While all clones considered each other brothers those close to each other gave each other the term soul-brothers. Those even closer, were referred to as twinned souls, similar to a marriage. There weren't many twinned souls around. Boil was twinned to Waxer, the only twinning that had occurred in Cody's batch that Cody had been aware of. Twinning was a very private thing among the clones. In fact all relationships amongst were private and valued. As beings raised without anyone else, clones treasured and revered relationships forged outside of duty.

"I don't know. He is important to me, more important than I may have realised." 

" This has been a long time coming Codes. The 212th has been guessing about you and the general for ages."

"Guessing What?" 

Boil grinned briefly, "whether you were just duty obsessed with being the best commander for the jedi or you were in love with him." 

"I wouldn't say love." Cody rebuffed, crossing his arms against his chest.

"Not yet." 

"How is Waxer?" Boil grimaced and then narrowed his eyes.

"We are both getting promoted to lead different squadrons." Cody lifted an eyebrow.

"This can't come as a surprise to you. You specialise in different things and are both quite skilled. It had to happen sooner or later." 

"Yeah, we just hoped the war would end before then or we would be able to take up teaching on Kamino before it happened." Boil sighed leaning back into his own chair. Cody sympathised. It was a miracle that Boil and Waxer had made it this far together in just about every sense of the word. Now they would be apart and most likely very far from each other, on the front lines while their troops were spread so thin. 

"I'm sorry--"

"I know Codes, there is no need to apologise." They sat in a comfortable silence until Boil asked, 

"So what are you going to do about your situation with the general?" Cody glared at him half heartedly,

"I'll know when I see him again. For all I know this may be one-sided or a side effect of our bond or something." Boil frowned,

"Bond? What Bond?"

"Force bond. It's a long story." Cody said dismissively 

"Well we have time." Boil replied making a show of getting comfortable in his seat. Cody sighed again.

************************************

Obi-Wan let his awareness expand across time and space guided by the Unifying Force. The lights of countless minds flit past him; their voices a very faint them through his mind. He could feel it all rippling through the Force. The murky shadow lingering across the galaxy, fear and death protruding from it. Even while shielded from It, Obi-Wan had visions of death and destruction crashing against his mind. Obi-Wan forcefully shifted his attention elsewhere.

There was a light that stuck out somewhere out there. He could feel it's pulse resonating with his. Obi-wan let himself focus on it and a brief picture of a soldier staring intently out into the vastness of space appeared before. The man, Cody, glad in his High Commander regalia looked pensively out into the great deep. Obi-wan felt the deep longing leecing out of Cody into the force. Obi-wan wondered what would bring out such a feeling from the man. They had talked about how Cody had few friends even within his own clone batch. What had changed then? That Cody found someone to care for that deeply made Obi-Wan very happy. Obi-wan always wanted the clones to be able to experience all that life had to offer aside from the war. 

Obi-wan was brought back to the present as he felt someone watching him and the presence of a dear friend lingering close by.

"Master Windu." Obi-Wan called out. The man in question approached quietly. Mace looked as always serious and his strides were less relaxed than normal. This was not just a social visit then. Mace sat next to him then, paused then spoke in his usual no nonsense business voice.

" Master Yoda and I had a meeting with the Chancellor today. He, very adamantly insisted that we add another Jedi onto the High Council." Obi-wan pondered the words carefully feeling confused.

"I know that he has wanting to demonstrate his power over the Jedi now but what does adding the number of Council members do?" Mace gave him a droll look,

"It's not the number but the person he is suggesting we appoint to the position."

" Ah, I see," Obi-Wan spoke quietly. Appointing Anakin to the High Council without Jedi consent was shady and that wasn't factoring the very public knowledge that the two were close. Obi-wan felt the force like a trickle of ice cold water down his back. It chilled his head and flowed down his spine lighting every nerve on fire. There was smoke and the was fire. Burning. Pain. Heart break. Pain. So much pain. Stars were blinking out of existence. There was no Light. Force, there was no Light!

OBI-WAN. Mace's presence shoved him back into center. It was startling to be back in the present again. Yet Obi-wan could not find it within himself to move or gasp.

"Obi-Wan, what did you see?" Mace asked concerned.

"A choice I have to make. A choice I've already made. It will kill me." Obi-wan spoke distractedly. He reached out to the force to calm himself. Keep your mind in the present. Mace's hand went onto Obi-wan's shoulder.

"Don't shut yourself from it. Find peace within the Unifying Force, Obi-wan. It runs deep within you and try as you might, you turn to it like a magnet turns to a pole."

"Yes Master Windu." Mace sighed a bit then spoke very quietly.

"From the very first moment I took Depa as my padawan, I knew that I would outlive her." That surprised Obi-Wan and didn't surprise him at all. There were things that always seemed clear to those deeply connected to the Unifying Aspect of the Force. Obi-wan always knew that he would not outlive Anakin. He also knew that when he died Anakin would be there. 

"Obi-Wan, I know that Jinn taught you to be mindful of the present and the Living Force. He was right. But, not at the cost of who you are." Mace spoke gently. Obi-Wan nodded. All his life, Obi-Wan had always been deeply affected by the connections he had with people. Some had pushed him to Light or to Darkness. It was a trait he and Anakin shared. 

"I have a choice to make as well, whether I stay in the light and mourn or fall into darkness and make others mourn. I do not want to mourn anymore." Mace murmured.

"What are you saying?" Mace did not respond to the question.

"The Council is gonna send you to Utapau to finally deal with Grievous. You have the particular skill set to deal with him and maybe just end this senseless war." Obi-Wan digested the information slowly. The force felt muddled. 

"The time has come then." Yes it felt as if they were standing on the precipice of something huge. Mace stood up to leave. Obi-wan wondered if Mace had always looked like he carrying a huge burden.

"Mace." The man stopped but did not turn back. 

"What do you think is going to happen next?"

"I don't know

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long. The writing style is undergoing some revision. Some character POVs I was doing are being edited out cause I found the multiple povs to be too distracting. So I will stick to certain POV for longer periods of time maybe longer chapters I think.

**Author's Note:**

> So soon after the ending of the first part. Yes! Because I wrote this chapter ages ago so it came out relatively quickly. My chapters seem to be getting shorter... hmmm, not entirely sure how I feel about that. But, maybe when we get to the more meaty bits things will change. I enjoyed writing from Cody and Padme's pov. Padme's pov will be perfect for viewing Anakin's ahem, struggle.


End file.
